1. The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048 |1
Vol. XXI No. 1048 | October 8, 2016 | ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA www.thereporterethiopia.com Price 5.00 Birr
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Leadershipreshuffle:coulditbeenough?
By Bruh Yihunbelay
German Chancellor Angela
Merkel (PhD), who will be
visiting Addis Ababa next week,
declined to address the House of
Peoples’ Representatives, which
will return from recess for the
second year term of the fifth
parliament.
According to reliable sources,
though Ethiopian authorities
requested the head of
the German federal government
to address legislators, Merkel
declined because “it is a one-
party-dominated parliament and
did not see the point in doing
so”.
Merkel embarks Sunday on a
visit to three African countries.
She will first travel to Mali and
Niger before coming to Ethiopia
where she is to meet with
Prime Minister Hailemariam
Dessalegn and visit the
Merkel declines to address Ethiopian parliament
Merkel declines... page 34
Last week’s Irrecha festivities ended in a gruesome tragedy the likes of which is not common to public holidays in
Ethiopia. Following the tragic death of those who attended the festivities, a wave of protest have erupted in across
By Neamin Ashenafi
Hailu Shawel (Eng.), a well-
known political figure, former
chairman of the then Coalition
for Unity and Democracy (CUD)
and the All Ethiopia Unity
Party (AEUP) – the successor
of the All Amhara People’s
Organization (AAPO) – passed
away on October 6 at the age of
80 in Bangkok, Thailand while
receiving treatment for diabetes.
Hailu, who was born in Ankober
town of Northern Shoa, in the
year 1936, was the successor of
the late Asrat Woldeyes (Prof.)
as the head of the AAPO.
As a one of the strongest
opposition political party in
May 2005 elections in Ethiopia,
members and leaders of CUD
was arrested as a result of
the protests that followed the
general elections; however,
Hailu was under house arrest
for some time before his
detention along with other CUD
Prominent
opposition
politician Hailu
Shawel passes
away at 80
Prominent... page 29
Hailu Shawel (Eng.)
German Chancellor to meet with leaders of opposition parties

2. www.thereporterethiopia.com
2| The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048
Computer Secretaries
Birtukan Abate, Helen Yetayew,
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Yeyesuswork Mamo,
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Asrat Seyoum
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Senior Editors
Yacob Wolde-Mariam
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We express our deepest sorrow on the death of scores of Ethiopians
on October 2, 2016 during the Irreecha celebrations at Hora Arsedi
in the town of Bishoftu. We would also like to extend our deepest
condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and the
people of Ethiopia and wish the injured speedy recovery. The loss
of so many lives at an important festival celebrated by Oromos
for centuries is a cause of grief for all Ethiopians, and not just for
Oromos.
All citizens who love their country need to stand together so that
such senseless fatalities and the agony they elicited should never
occur again. Aside from overcoming together the profound grief
visited on us, it is imperative that we as a nation discuss openly
what ought to be done in the future. Difficult as this moment in
our history be, Ethiopians have to reflect on such critical matters
as to how to avert similar horrific events, what solutions can be
thought of to bring to an end the almost year-long unrest that has
been gripping the country, what is required to set right the lack of
mutual tolerance and respect that besets Ethiopian politics, how to
resolve the distrust and rift between the public and the government,
how long civilized and democratic engagements can be put on the
backburner, when the people will be able to lead a life free of anxiety
and the like.
Hundreds of compatriots have died and several more injured in a
raft of protests that swept the nation since November 2015. Property
worth millions has also been vandalized. And now scores were killed
during Irreecha celebrations. A political system that has proved to
be incapable of crafting and implementing solutions to the multi-
faceted challenges confronting the country is now mired in an
out-and-out finger pointing and diatribe. While a bitter disagreement
is raging over the manner in which the victims died at the Irreecha
celebrations as well as how many perished, the incident has led to
protests elsewhere in the Oromia region which engendered further
casualties and property destruction. Though the government
accuses what it describes as evil forces for instigating the deaths,
those orchestrating the protest using social media squarely blame
the government. In the meantime the country is finding it difficult to
extricate itself from the predicament it is in due to the absence of a
condition which allows level-headed citizens to propose appropriate
solutions.
Now should not be a time for soul-searching alone; it is also a time
to search for constructive solutions in both the short- and long-
term. The process starts with getting a proper grasp on the extent
and depth of the problem. If Ethiopia is not to witness the type of
violence and calamity that beleaguered it throughout its history
all citizens who believe they have a stake in the welfare of their
nation should be availed with the opportunity to contribute their
share. This calls for the facilitation of forums wherein the true
views of the public are solicited. At the same time the government
must discharge its constitutional obligation to respond timely
to the legitimate demands of the public even as the country’s
political actors engage in a consultative dialogue with a view to
forge national consensus. If prompt measures are not taken to deal
decisively with the threats that are worrying people everywhere dire
consequences may well ensue. It’s through the creation of a national
consensus that the specter of this threat can be avoided. Otherwise
the protest can assume proportions that lead to an endless cycle of
death and destruction from which it is hard to recover.
The turmoil affecting many parts of Ethiopia has rocked its relative
peace and stability. This peace and stability can be restored through
the application of inclusive and durable solutions anchored in
collective understanding. Needless, to say if this understanding
does not embody the needs of the public the situation is bound to
get worse. The experience of several countries shows that failure to
address grievances can beget strife. Libya, Syria and Yemen have
all been ravaged by a devastating civil war that exacted a terrible
humanitarian toll due to the refusal of the political establishment
to tackle on time the discontent that has been simmering for
decades. The more a government is averse to respond on time to the
demands of the people, the fiercer the resulting protests are liable
to become. And if the protest is quelled by force the outcome will be
catastrophic. The protest reigniting in the Oromia region can spread
to other unaffected regions and wreak havoc if the causes behind
it are not decisively dealt with. Once it gets out of control it will be
practically impossible to bring things back to normal.
It is of critical importance to hasten in seeking and implementing
ideas that help defuse the palpable tension. The government
must deliver fast the repeated promises it has made to the public
by taking concrete steps that have an immediate impact. These
include, among others, opening up the constricted political space,
ensuring the unencumbered exercise of the human and democratic
rights enshrined in the constitution, desisting from any practice
that disenfranchise the public, respecting the independence and
neutrality of the judiciary, operating the state-owned media in
a manner ensuring their capacity to entertain diversity in the
expression of opinion, heeding citizens’ suggestions that aid the
democratization process, abandoning the habit of listening to oneself
only and endeavoring to determine the real views of the public,
refraining from resorting to the use of force to settle differences and
steering citizens away from the path to devastation and on a course
to development and prosperity.
The pointless death and injury of countless compatriots and the
vandalizing of property should incense us all. We must also agonize
over the fate of the country and our fellow citizens. The government
should establish an independent commission to investigate the
unfortunate deaths that occurred at the Irreecha celebrations and
prior to that and publish the findings. Failure to resolve through
a rational dialogue the crisis prompted by the loss of our brethren
does not only hinder efforts to bring about genuine peace, but also
exacerbate the suffering of the populace. After all, disparaging each
other is not in the interest of either the country or the families of the
dead; it’s only by fashioning solutions on which broad consensus is
reached that Ethiopia can extricate itself from the quandary it is in
without further bloodshed. All of us who claim to love our country
must do whatever is in our power to make sure that it remains a
refuge for its people. Again we express our deepest sorrow on the
death of compatriots who died at the Irreecha celebrations.
Our deepest condolences to Irreecha victims!

3. www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048 |3HEADLINES
www
.ther
eporterethiopia.c
om
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The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048
IN-DEPTH
Last week’s Irrecha
festivities ended in
a gruesome tragedy
the likes of which is
not common to public
holidays in Ethiopia.
Following the tragic death
of those who attended
the festivities, a wave of
protest have erupted in
across Oromia Regional
State with billions of birr
worth of properties going
the ruling Ethiopian
Peoples’ Revolutionary
Democratic Front
(EPRDF) has announced
its leadership which it
expected to be announced
next week when
parliament opens, writes
Yohannes Anberbir.
Bishoftu displayed a mixture of festivities and tension
starting from Saturday afternoon. On one hand, a number
the eve of Irrecha projected an atmosphere of festivities and
celebration while, on the other
hand, displays of emotion were
witnessed
whenever a politically-charged Orom
iffa songs
were played at public recreational facilities. That was an
indication
as to the potential of a protest the next morning.
This was a turning point to the Irrecha 2016
celebration since
most
of the present Aba Gadaas and religious fathers started to vacate the
stage
and lake area declaring festivities will not take place
this year.
To the disappointment of the regional cultural bureau this was the
year where the Irrecha festival was scheduled to be celebrated
in style
on account of UNESCO’s observers who were present at cerem
ony
heritage.
“The government
is saying is that
it will conduct
my opinion,
there is no way
will be the only
solution.”
The Gadaa system is an ancient system of
societal stratification
and administratio
n
whic
h is scared to the Orom
o peop
le.
Although
the system is less influ
ential
in term
s of day-to-da
y governan
ce of the
Orom
o community in recent times, the
system is still a highly-regarded cultu
ral
institutio
n in Ethiopia.
In conn
ectio
n to the Gadaa system, the
annu
al thanksgiving
celebration know
n
as the Irrecha festivities is also another
wide
ly observed
cultu
ral holiday among
the Orom
o peop
le. Acco
rding to Orom
o
elders, Irrecha is an annu
al holiday where
the Orom
o community gives thanks to the
creator for the blessings it had bestowed
upon
the peop
le during the year. Irrecha
is celebrated every year
at the beginnin
g
of the spring season whic
h is either on the
Sunday of the last week
of September or
the beginnin
g of October.
Curr
ently
, Irrecha is one of the biggest
tradition
al festivals in Ethiopia
celebrated
by millions
of Orom
os, the local
community and tourists. And
focal point
of the Irrecha festivities is the scared
grou
nds of Hora
Hars
adi; Hora
meaning
lake
in Orom
iffa. Thes
e grou
nds are
located in the town
of Bishoftu, 45km
s
from
the capital Addis Ababa.
Last
Sunday was Irrecha 2016, an occasion
of celebration in the protest-engro
ssed
Orom
ia. And
the mood in Bishoftu a night
before Irrecha was exactly as such
. As
they
do usua
lly, mem
bers
of the Orom
o
community travel from
afar to take
part
in the holiday celebrations
and finding
accommo
dation on the eve of the holiday
was unth
inkable in the resort town
.
Bishoftu displayed a mixture
of festivities
and tension starting from
Saturday
after
noon
. On one hand
, a number of
youn
gsters who
filled the local bars
and resta
uran
ts on the eve of Irrecha
projected an atmo
sphere of festivities
and celebration while, on the other hand
,
displays of emotion were
witnessed
wheneve
r a politically-charged Orom
iffa
songs were
played at public recreatio
nal
facilities. That was an indicatio
n as to the
potential of a protest the next
morning.
Well, that was what happ
ened
exactly.
A wave of peop
le who
flock
ed to Hora
Hars
adi to take
part
in festivities were
almo
st in complete
sync
in their protest
against the government, the regional
rulin
g party the Orom
o Peop
le’s
Democratic Orga
nization (OPD
O) and the
rulin
g party EPRDF. Acco
rding firsthand
accounts
of The Repo
rter,
the protest
started as early as 6:00 in the morning
when high-ranking
Aba Gadaas began to
Leadership reshuffle:
could it be enough?
bless the lake
wate
rs and by adoring the
lake
with
fresh
ly-cu
t grasses. Blessing
the
lake
is usua
lly a very
popu
lar happ
ening
in the festivities whic
h also heralds the
beginnin
g of the holiday ritua
l. This
was unusually met with
extreme lack
of
interest and oppo
sition.
The predomin
ately
youn
g, who
were
in
atten
danc
e, were
relen
tless
in soun
ding
their oppo
sition to OPDO, mem
ber-party
of the EPRDF and administrator of the
region, and the rulin
g front altog
ether
carrying
slogans like “Enough
Woyane,”
“Enough
OPDO” and “We
Want Freedom”.
As the protest grew
louder and stronger,
the more it became unse
ttling for security
forces, main
ly composed of the region’s
Special Forces.
Nevertheless
, the cond
uct of the security
forces and henc
e the protests had been
peaceful.
After considerable
delay, the
Aba Gadaa, who
was sitting quietly on the
stage all through the protest, tried
to get a
hold
of the ceremony by asking the crow
ed
to quite down. This
neve
r happ
ened
in
fact the protest started to heat
up. Many
organizers of the ceremony took
a stab
at
calm
ing the relen
tless
protest but failed.
That was when the youn
g man
who
slipp
ed
through to stage and mixed with
stage
organizers got a hold
of the micr
opho
ne.
This
was indeed significant since nobo
dy
anticipated what this youn
g man
was
going to do next. “Dow
n Down Woyane”
,
“Dow
n Down TPLF”, blurted the youn
g
man
and the crow
ed followed the chan
t;
and yet again louder than
before.
This
was a turning point to the Irrecha
2016
celebration since most of the present
Aba Gadaas and relig
ious
fathers started
to vacate the stage and lake
area
declaring
festivities will not take
place this year. To
the disappointment of the regional
cultu
ral
bure
au this was the year
where the Irrecha
festival was scheduled to be celebrated in
style
on account of UNE
SCO’s observers
who
were
present at ceremony and who
are influ
ential in registering the festival as
world intangible heritage.
Yet, the failed attem
pt to impress some
observers from
the UN was the least of
problems
for this year’s Irrecha.
The
depa
rture of the Aba Gaddas was followed
by the simm
ering protest and move by
some youn
gsters in the front row to climb
on to the stage. Although
repu
lsed by
the security forces, even
tually the mass
started to push
through to control the stage
and security forces decided that it was
time
to respond.
Then
things went south really fast.
The
preferred weapon of dispersin
g the
om
www
.thereporterethiopia.com
14|
The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048
Mulugeta Aregawi is a DC-based lawyer who attended school both in Ethiopia and the U.S.
He earned his LLB from Addis Ababa University Law School and LLM from Washington
College of Law, specializing on International Law. He used to offer different courses,
including constitutional law at the Law School. Mulugeta is also known for sharing
his views and opinions on current affairs with different media outlets freely and boldly.
Solomon Goshu of The Reporter discussed with Mulugeta current issues and the
constitutional discourses related to it. Excerpts:
INTERVIEW
The
Reporter: As you
know,
curr
ently, ther
e is a chain of
political unrest and
protest
goin
g
on in the country
. Underneath
the protest, ther
e are a num
ber
of political questions which the
governmen
t believes
it has started
resp
onding to them
adequately.
What is your take
on all of that?
Mulugeta Aregawi: Since I am a
lawy
er, let us start with
the facts
. The
ruling party EPRDF has been
in power
for the past
25 years; and, in that time,
the party has achieved
some visible
outcomes in the econ
omic aspect.
On the other hand, when it comes to
the justice system, good
gove
rnan
ce,
corruption and rent-seeking, things
have not been
that impressive. By
the gove
rnment’s own
admissio
n,
these prob
lems
have now
become a
threat to the system. Furthermore,
the gove
rnment is saying that its
structure is captured
by rent-seeking
bure
aucrats. Now, the party is asking
for extra time
to renew and cleanse
itself. As we all know, the ruling front
went through the same self-cleansing
process 15 years ago. If you look
at the
first
self-cleansing process and the one
the party is doing at this time, there are
subtle differences betw
een the two.
The
first
one was initiated
by the political
rift that happene
d within the TPLF,
the founding
mem
ber of the ruling
coalition
EPRDF. Of course, some of
the other EPRDF-m
ember parties may
have been
involved
in the process but
it was gene
rally
an EPRDF process
initiated
by the need
s of the party itself.
However, the recent party evaluation
and self-renewal process is a forced
one.
It is a response
to the simm
ering
public upheava
l towa
rds the ruling
party. Now, the main issue is how
to
allev
iate these prob
lems
, which by
the gove
rnment’s own
admissio
n are
threatening the system. So, on one hand
the ruling party EPRDF is saying that
it is capa
ble of solving these prob
lem;
and that all it need
s is time. Meanwhile,
those in the oppo
sition camp are saying
the ruling party had 25 years to deal
with
its prob
lems
if it had the capa
city
to actually do so. This
is where we are
at this time.
One
of the pecu
liar
issues in
the self-evaluation and
renewal
processes of the one 15 years ago
and
the one righ
t now
is that
the two
have iden
tified somewhat similar
challenges to deal with
. Does it
mak
e sens
e to delibera
te on similar
national challenges for over 15
years?
Unusually, one need
not look
far to
see that the gove
rnment has failed to
deliver on some of its commitm
ents.
The prim
e minister
of the coun
try has
said
it publicly
back
in November.
In fact,
such
kind
of full disclosure
regarding one’s failu
res is highly
unusual
in most gove
rnments
across
the world. Hence, I would say it is
so courageous of the ruling party to
do so. According to Prim
e Minister
Hailemariam
Dess
alegn, the system has
failed to deliver all-over. Now, the big
ques
tion is if you stay
in power for 25
years and still failed to deliver on good
gove
rnan
ce, what have you been
doing
all these years? If not gove
rning what
is the job of a gove
rnment then. Apart
from
that, how
much time
is need
ed to
deliver on good
gove
rnan
ce? What is
the guar
antee that it will deliver given
the track record thus
far? These are
some of the issues which I have hard
time
to understand given the current
situation. In a recent interview with
the national
broadcaster, four
seasoned
EPRDF officials had argu
ed that when
the party went through the renewal
process 15 years ago, it did not prom
ise
or give
a guar
antee that it will neve
r
start to decay once
again. They said
it is
something that could not be guar
anteed
by the party. It was strik
ing to me to
hear
that because it gave
me a sense
that the party feels
that it is excu
sable
to experience decaying
while gove
rning
the coun
try. But,
the FDRE Constitu
tion
does
not allow
the ruling party or the
gove
rnment to decay or degenerate; it
will not say that it is excu
sable. Rath
er,
the electorate public holds the right
even
to recall its representativ
es in
betw
een election cycles if it feels
that
the party and hence the gove
rnment
that it leads is decaying. It is also wrong
to argu
e as if decaying
or degeneration
is a norm
al cycle in the party that
shou
ld be toler
ated
by the public; the
mindset is wrong altogether. If we are to
talk abou
t the prop
osed
measures such
as reshuffling the rank
s of the party
and gove
rnment, I also don’t think
that it will be a solution to the current
EPRDF’s renewal:
a critical appraisal
INSIDE
is
ed
ble
ning
tutio
n
the
te; it
Rath
er,
ght
s in
ls that
nment
lso wrong
eneration
y that
ublic; the
r. If we are to
asures such
the party
n’t think
o the current
www
.thereporterethiopia.com
18|
The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048
#REPORTERBOOK
#REPORTERBOOK
R
R
#WhatAShot
Amazing animal photos that will
leave you in awe
Google takes on Apple with new
smartphone
A hungry griffon vulture seen
from
the inside of the rib cage
of a
large mam
mal is just one of the many stunning
images captured
for
the second annual Royal Society Publishing Photo Competition.
The vulture was captured
by Jona
than
Diaz-Marba in Spain, after
he tried
his luck
using his camera inside the carcass, shoo
ting from
a hide
with
the help
of a trigg
er wire
20 meters long.
Other incredibly up-close images that were short-listed for the
competition include a swarm of jellyfish in the United King
dom, an
eagle ray swim
ming over
a reef with
its prey
in the Caribbea
n and
colorful butterflies gathering on the head
of a caim
an reptile in the
Ama
zon to colle
ct salt for their survival.
Another
image depicts one of Japa
n’s macaques, the most northern
-
livin
g, non-hum
an prim
ates who
survive in the coldest cond
ition
s.
A ghos
tly image of luminescent
mayflies
against the night sky
won
first
place in the competition, which celebrates the power
of photography to commun
icate science and show
s the beau
tiful
images enco
untered while studying
the world arou
nd us.
The winning
shot, by Imre Potyó, show
s the final courtship danc
e of
short-lived adult Danube mayflies
on the bank of the Rába River in
Hungary.
All the winning
photos and runn
ers-u
p were on display at a free
exhibitio
n at the Royal Society on September 17 and 18 during the
Open House London weekend
.
Alph
abet
Inc’s Google on Tuesday
announced a new
“Pixel”
smartphone and a suite of new
consumer electronics prod
ucts
for the home, planting itself firmly in the hard
ware business
and
challenging Apple Inc’s iPho
ne at the high
end of the USD
400 billion
global smartphone market.
The strin
g of announcements
- includin
g the USD
649 Pixel, a
smart speaker for the livin
g room
dubbed “Home,”
a virtual reality
head
set, and a new
Wi-F
i
router - is the clearest sign
yet that Google intends to
compete
head
-to-head with
Apple, Ama
zon.com
Inc
and even
manufacturers
of phon
es using its own
Android
mobile operating
system.
Company
executives,
echo
ing Apple’s
longstanding
philosophy,
said
they
were striv
ing
for tighter integration of
hard
ware and softw
are.
“The thinking
is that if we can work on hard
ware and softw
are
together, we can innovate
much better,” Google hard
ware chief
Rick
Osterloh
said
in an interview with
Reuters, citin
g a recent
reorganizatio
n that united once
-disp
arate hard
ware team
s.
Under the new
structure, the company
has begu
n to take
a much
more integrated appr
oach
to things like supp
ly chain managem
ent
and design, adde
d Mario Queiroz, a vice
president of prod
uct
managem
ent.
“The learnings from
one prod
uct are bene
fiting another prod
uct,”
he said.
Unlike earlier Google phon
e effor
ts under the Nexus bran
d, the
Pixel devices are designed
and deve
loped by Google from
the
start, although
Taiw
an’s HTC
Corp
will serve as the contract
manufacturer.
www.thereportereth
ent
ed
aring
r. To
ultural
Irrecha
ted in
rvers
d who
festival as
s some
least of
a. The
was followed
move by
row to climb
ulsed by
ly the mass
ontrol the stage
d that it was
eally
fast.
The
ersin
g the
hiopia.co
14| Mu
H
INTER
www
.ther
eporterethiopia.c
om
12|
The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048
LIVING & THE ARTS
An unprecedented
movement of student
activism has been
sweeping South African
university campuses
and cities. And this
is because of the Fees
The movement is a
student led protest that
began in mid-October
2015 in response to an
increase in fees at South
African universities.
South Africa, by many
measures, is arguably
the most unequal
society in the world.
Working people cannot
afford basic necessities
and the academia in
the Rainbow Nation
remains white and
predominantly male.
This has led the
majority to protest,
calling for deep changes,
writes Tibebeselassie
Tigabu, from
Johannesburg, South
Africa.
On the third
week
of the shutting down
of all prestigious universities and
colleges in South Africa, three-fou
rths
of the content dissemin
ated
in various
media outlets, inclu
ding
the state
-own
ed
multinational corporation, the South
African Broa
dcasting Corp
oration
(SAB
C), E News Channel
Africa
(ENCA) and Grou
nd Repo
rt is abou
t
“Free Educatio
n” protest. Ever
y day
there is an upda
te on the protesters’
demands, the escalating anger of
students, and back
and forth
betw
een
students’ representatives, the Ministry
of Educatio
n, vice-chancellors of
universities and other stakeholders.
Students demande
d free,
quality and
decolonized education
. They
devised
ways to have
their voices heard, whic
h
inclu
de barricading entrances of
universities, disrupting class
es, building
shacks outside the gates of universities
(in the case
of Cape
Town Univ
ersity)
and setting the libra
ry on fire. Thes
e acts
forced the universities to shut
down.
Hash
tags #Fee
s2017 and #Fee
sMustFall
were
trending
on social media and
there were
several debates on the issue.
Similarly, Tues
day was no different
for the protesters at Witw
atersrand
Univ
ersity with
the exception of the
backing presence
of one of South Africa’s
prom
inent personalities, Dali Mpofu,
who is an advo
cate of the Econ
omic
Freedom
Fighters Party. In addition,
a famo
us singer, Simple Dana, black
academic
s and parents participa
ted in
a march as a human shield betw
een the
polic
e and students.
The group of protesters marched
in
different areas of the campus singing
and chan
ting songs, inclu
ding
those
from
the apartheid struggle.
In addition to the social media, the
various media of the coun
try were
transmitting live the chaotic scenes.
Police fired
rubb
er bullets and stun
grenades
at protesters dispersin
g the
marching students.
Angry protesters in return smashed
a
polic
e car and responde
d by throwing
stones. The nation watched in horror
with
polic
e responses of shooting rubb
er
bullets and dragging
one of the student
leaders, Mcebo Dlam
ini, in a failed
attem
pt to arrest him.
It was not only
the polic
e; private
security officers faced students armed
with
batons and riot shields.
The media’s transmitted live imag
es,
inclu
ding
the emotional nake
d protest
of three wom
en students saying they
were
tired
of being brutalized. The
three wom
en, who were
pleading, faced
the polic
e with
their hand
s crossed
over
their head
s in an effort to stop the
viole
nce.
The situa
tion calm
ed down around
evening after
negotiations were
held
betw
een the middle personalities
of
Dali Mpofu, together with
students’
representatives and Vice
Chancellor
Adam Habib to have
a general assembly
on the future of the academic
year.
Thes
e furio
us clash
es happ
ened
after
the university cond
ucted a poll asking
students if they
wanted the academic
program to proceed on Monday, whic
h
the majo
rity voted yes. The student
leaders and the protestin
g students did
not agree with
the polling system, whic
h
they
said had errors like voting multiple
times.
In addition to Witw
atersrand,
prestigious universities such
as Cape
Town, KwaZulu-Natal, and Pretoria
were
temp
orarily close
d and more than
15 universities anno
unce
d that they
Free education
movement in South Africa
By Kaleyesus Bekele
The giant Israeli fertilizer producer,
ICL, on Thursday announced that it has
terminated its potash mine development
project in the Afar Regional State, north
eastern part of Ethiopia.
According to a statement issued by ICL,
following a meeting held on October
5, the board of directors instructed
the management to take all necessary
actions towards termination of the
project. ICL took over the Afar Dallol
potash mine development project in 2015
after it bought all the shares of Allana
Potash, the Canadian company that
owned the concession. The company
had a plan to develop the vast potash
deposit estimated at three billion tons
and build three fertilizer blending
plants at a total cost of one billion
dollars.
Following a disagreement with the
Ethiopian Revenues and Customs
Authority (ERCA) over a controversial
tax claim to the tune of USD 55 million,
the board of directors of ICL this week
decided to terminate the project. “The
board has taken this decision in view
of the Ethiopian government’s failure
to provide the necessary infrastructure
and regulatory framework for the
project and follows the Ethiopian tax
authority’s rejection off Allana Afar’s
appeal regarding the unjustified and
illegal tax assessment which Allana
Afar has declined to pay. In particular,
as already notified to the government,
Ethiopia’s acts and missions have been
in breach of, inter alia, the protections
to which the investment is entitled
under an international investment
treaty,” the company’s statement read.
The net value of the investment in
the project as of June 30, 2016 was
approximately USD 170 million.
Following the board’s decision
the company will recognize in its
financial reports and impairment of
the investment amount as well as a
provision for the expected closing costs.
The Reporter’s attempt to get the
response of ERCA was unsuccessful.
The Ministry of Mines, Petroleum
and Natural Gas is stunned by ICL’s
decision to pull out of Ethiopia. The
company’s decision is not yet to
be formally communicated to the
ministry. Minister Tolossa Shagi told
The Reporter that the decision is a
surprise to the ministry. According to
Tolossa, the mining license of Allana
Potash is not yet transferred to ICL.
“The company came to Ethiopia after it
finalized transaction with the rightful
owner of the concession abroad. We
told them that it has to be processed
according to Ethiopia’s mining law.
We were processing the mining license
transfer. We did not stop their activity
because we need the development.
They imported machineries and were
working on the field and parallel we
were working on the license transfer.
We did not want to stop them because
ICL is a big company which has
investments in different countries,”
Tolossa told The Reporter.
The minister said that ICL was
informed of its tax obligations. It was
told to settle the VAT and withholding
tax arrears of Allana Potash. In
addition, ERCA requested it to pay
USD 55 million capital gain tax. Tolossa
said there was a general consensus on
the tax obligations but when it comes
to settling the payment the company
complained that the stated amount was
too much.
“They could appeal to the tax authority.
There was no need to rush to terminate
the project. We have advised them to
appeal to the tax authority and review
the capital gain tax amount. But they
did not do that,” Tolossa said.
With regards to infrastructure Tolossa
said the government was ready and
willing to develop the infrastructure
ICL terminates potash project in
Ethiopia due to controversial tax claim
By YonasAbiye
Amid panic among residents of the
capital city, Addis Ababa, following the
renewed protest in the surrounding
towns of the Oromia Special Zone, the
city’s Police Commission said yesterday
that it has tightened its security around
city to contain the spreading Oromo
protest from entering the city.
The protest started to spread across
towns in the Oromia Special Zone,
following the deadly Irrecha stampede
that claimed the lives of at least 53
people and injured hundreds more.
The tragic incident came after a heated
protest at the annual Irrecha festival
interrupted and after the region’s
Special Forces have decided to use tear
gas to disperse the protest.
The firing of tear gas resulted in the
public rushing off to safety causing
heightened commotion and stampede
around the scared grounds of Lake
Hora, where Irrecha is celebrated every
year.
The statement issued by the
government blamed the tragic stampede
on groups who instigated chaos in the
crowd deliberately resulting in the
deaths of many innocent civilians.
Meanwhile, activists accuse the
government of firing more than tear gas
and go to the extent of claiming that the
accident was caused by the coordinated
ground and air attack employing
“helicopters and live rounds” on
protestors resulting in people falling
in the lake, ditches and/or caught in
middle if a deadly stampede.
Following the funeral ceremony of
many of the victims, widespread protest
and unrest broke out around Sebeta,
Furi and Burayou and other districts
surrounding Addis Ababa.
As a result, on Tuesday and Wednesday,
Addis Ababa was noticeably quite
with shops closed and transportation
shortages observed around Mexico, Tor
Hailoch, Ayer Tena and Jemo Condo
site, as well as in the neighborhoods of
Ashewa Meda, Asko and nearby places
around Kolfe-Keranyo Sub City.
However, the City’s Police Commission
Commissioner, Girma Kassa told The
Reporter that “the residents (of Addis
Ababa) has been caught by fear of
unrest yet there is no credible incidents
Capital city tightens security to repel spreading protests
Oil station in Dire Dawa... page 31ICL terminatesI... page 31
Oil station
in Dire Dawa
narrowly
escapes fire
By Yonas Abiye
A sudden fire accident–the cause of
which is yet to be confirmed–broken out
in Dire Dawa town on Wednesday night
near an Oil Station; but, luckily, the fire
brigade managed to control it before it
set blaze the oil station, marked as Oil
Libya, which created a temporary panic
among residents, The Reporter has
learnt.
But police told The Reporter that this
fire accident was not believed to be
linked to the ongoing wave of protests
spreading in vast areas of the Oromia
Regional State.
According to the information obtained
by The Reporter, the fire suddenly
broke out around 7:30 PM from its
warehouse and latter damaged stores
used by the oil station.
Though the accident threatened the oil
station and the suburban area located
near the station, the fire brigade was
able to contain the spread of the fire
within an hour’s time before engulfing
the oil station and the flammable oil
depot.
The fourth-most populous city in
Ethiopia, Dire Dawa is the only federal
Capital city... page 30
ERCA claims USD 55 million capital again tax

4. www.thereporterethiopia.com
4| The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048
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5. www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048 |5HEADLINES
By Yohannes Anberbir
Ethiopia and Djibouti officially
inaugurated their newly built
standard-gage modern electric railway
infrastructure that is ready to replace
their old railway line often referred as
an ‘umbilical cord’ that intertwined the
two nations for more than a century.
Leaders of the two nations, Prime
Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn of
Ethiopia and President Ismail Omer
Gulleh of Djibouti officially inaugurated
the railway project on Wednesday at a
ceremony held at Ethiopia’s National
Railway Station located in Lebu area,
located in the outskirt of western
Addis Ababa. The two leaders were
accompanied by the President of Togo
who was paying an official visit in
Ethiopia and by an official envoy of the
Chinese President whose nation has
extended 70 percent of the total cost.
The two nations have outlaid an
aggregate of USD 3.4 billion to finalize
the railway infrastructure which is laid
on 756km from Addis Ababa to the Port
of Djibouti.
The old railway that linked the two
neighboring countries was built by
France some 119 years ago. Though it
is superseded today, it has left historic
legacies for the two nations. The
Eastern Ethiopia city, Dire Dawa,
located 300km away from the boarder of
Djibouti is one of the prominent living
legacies the old railway has left. Created
along with the establishment of the old
railway line, Dire Dawa has interwoven
the Oromos with the Somali nationals of
both Ethiopia and Djibouti. This makes
Dire Dawa an exception to the current
ethnic federalism of Ethiopia. Against
the ethnic decentralization, Dire Dawa
has been left as a federal city with self
administration autonomy. Dire Dawa
was also a city where many Djiboutian
boys and girls including the sitting
president Ismail Omer Gulleh were
raised.
Djibouti had been under the
protectorate of France, its former
colonizer, up until President Gulleh was
first elected in the 1999 as a handpicked
successor of his uncle, Hassen Gouled.
Gouled had been administering his
country with a budget slice thrown
from France and a military support to
safeguard the country’s sovereignty.
However, Djibouti’s relation has
deteriorated during the reign of
President Guelleh, who is alleged to
be involved in the mysterious death
of the France Judge Bernard Borrel
in Djibouti. This led France to cut its
budgetary support leaving the small
East African coastal state to struggle
with economic crisis. This difficult time
coincided with Ethiopia’s departure
from the Port of Massawa following the
bloody Ethio-Eritrtea war, which ended
in 2000.
Since then, the Port of Djibouti has
been serving as the only sea outlet for
landlocked Ethiopia. Consequently,
the government of Djibouti has been
amassing more than 70 percent of its
annual revenue from the port which
is providing 87 percent of the traffic
for Ethiopian imports and exports,
according to reports.
Ethiopia’s growing importation of
goods, fertilizers and food aids and
its growing export at the same time
have created congestions at the Port
of Djibouti. The congestion is mainly
attributed to logistic problems Ethiopia
currently is facing.
This led Ethiopia and Djibouti to
jointly develop the modern railway
infrastructure inaugurated on
Wednesday.
The rail, which is currently at a
trial operation, is expected to start
commercial operation in the first
quarter of 2017. The rail will transport
500 tons of cargo which is equivalent
with carriage capacity of 88 cargo
trucks, according to the Ethiopian
Railway Corporation (ERC). Apart
from this, the railway will reduce the
duration of cargos from the earlier
three days average time to 10 hours,
according to ERC.
Speaking on the inauguration, PM
Hailemariam said the rail will bring
another opportunity for Dire Dawa
and Adama. Both are the result of the
former old railway.
President Guelleh on his part said
the economic ties created between
Ethiopia and Djibouti through the old
rail network will expand beyond port
services.
“Economic integration is our destiny,”
he further added.
China which has surpassed any of
Ethiopian economic partners has
extended more than USD 5.5 billion for
Ethiopia’s national railway network.
The Addis Ababa –Djibouti railway line
will represent China –Africa friendship
in the 21th century, special envoy of the
Chinese president said on the occasion
referring the project as “a railway for
development.”
Ethiopia, Djibouti launch electric railway

6. www.thereporterethiopia.com
6| The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048HEADLINES
NEWS IN BRIEF
Oromia police detains blogger, university
lecturer
Ethiopian starts services to Windhoek,
Namibia
Two weeks after the nationwide conference the government organized for
higher education teachers, the Oromia police in Ambo town last week arrested
blogger and Ambo University lecturer, Seyoum Teshome, who is known for its
critics against the ruling government.
Seyoum has been Management Department Head in Woliso Campus under
Ambo University. Apart from his career in the higher educational institution,
he has been active blogging about political commentaries in his own blog as
well as in other privately owned media outlets.
Two weeks ago, he talked to The Reporter with regards to the conference –
where he was one of the participants - that held in Ambo University’s Woliso
Campus.
During the interview he reflected his criticism against the ruling Ethiopian
Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and talked about the
government’s “repressive actions” against its critics, decedents, journalists,
independent professional associations as well as civil society groups.
Days before his arrest, Seyoum said that he was planning to start his doctoral
studies. (Compiled by Yonas Abiye)
Ethiopian Airlines, the fastest growing African airline, has commenced services to
Windhoek, Namibia, via Gaborone, as of October 6, 2016.
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia, headquartering
most of the national enterprises and cultural institutions.
The Pan-African airline, Ethiopian, apart from pioneering in aviation systems and
technologies, is the leading airline in its vast network in the continent.
Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam said, “As a Pan-African
airline, it has always been our source of pride to connect Africa together and to
the rest of the world. The addition of Windhoek to our ever expanding network
brings our African destinations to 52, the largest coverage unrivalled by any other
carrier.”
“I believe, the commencement of this flight will surely give our customers more
convenient options to travel to Namibia. We will continue to expand our reach in
our home market in Africa with a view to support to the continent’s socio-economic
integration and development.” (Press Release)
By Birhanu Fikade
Following the government’s plan to
construct integrated agro processing
industrial parks in major productive
corridors of the country, the African
Development Bank (AfDB) and other
partners have pledged to extend
financial and technical supports to
realize the development of four major
agro parks.
Together with the United Nations
Industrial Development Organization
(UNIDO), the Ministry of Industry
co-organized an international agro
industry investment forum which
brought about 1,000 participants
altogether to spend three days of
meetings starting from October 5,, 2016.
Li Yong, general of UNIDO was part of
the forum to observe the making of the
industrial projects in the country.
According to Gabriel Nigatu, the East
Agro park project receives positive go-aheads from donors
By Kaleyesus Bekele
The managements of Ethiopian Airlines
and RwandAir are working on the
details of forging strategic partnership.
Early this year RwandAir, the
national flag carrier of Rwanda,
selected Ethiopian Airlines as its
future strategic partner. Ethiopian
and RwandAir have technical and
commercial cooperation agreements.
Taking delivery of a brand-new Airbus
A330 aircraft in Toulouse, France last
week, John Mirenge, CEO of RwandAir,
told The Reporter that the two airlines
have established a joint team that is
working on the details of the formation
of the strategic partnership. “The joint
team is working on the details on a
permanent basis. Strategic partnership
Ethiopian, RwandAir working on details of partnership
Ethiopian, RwandAir... page 31
Agro park project.. page 29
is like marriage. If you rash it, it might
not last too long. Or it could go over a
span of years while every partner is
studying and trying to understand the
other better. I think that is where we
are. We chose that path,” Mirenge said.
The CEO said that the two sides will
continue working together and look at
each other more carefully. “We need to
understand each other’s way of doing
things, and grow organically from the
kind of partnership we already have.
Ethiopian supports us technically.
They train our pilots, they train our
technicians and engineers. We already
are in a relationship. Over time we need
to grow to strategic partnership,” he
told The Reporter.
The joint team is looking at the
possibility that Ethiopian will invest
in RwandAir and have a 49 stake on
the airline. It will be represented in the
board and management and continue
providing technical services.
Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde
Gebremariam told The Reporter that
the two airlines are already cooperating
in various fields. “We have technical
and commercial cooperation. We have
a code share agreement,” Tewolde said.
The CEO said that currently the two
sides are working on the details of the
strategic partnership. “We have our
own business strategy and they have
their own. The joint team has to look
at the business strategies and possible
ways of synchronizing them.”
The carriers in principle agreed to forge
USD 300 mln set aside for infrastructure development so far
John Mirenge, CEO of RwandAir
potential agro products have been displayed

7. www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048 |7HEADLINES
By Birhanu Fikade
Preparing to host the 10th triennial
conference of the African Potato
Association (APA), experts expressed
the viabilities of the potentials of potato
for commercialization in the country.
In a press conference held on Thursday
at Hilton Addis, Endale Gebre (PhD)
president of the APA pointed out that
Ethiopia has been cultivating some 1.8
million tons of potato from a total land
of 176,000 hectares. He mentioned that
3.7 million households are engaged
in farming the potato. In addition to
that 75,000 hectares of land has been
cultivated with sweet potatoes to help
both subsistence and cash crop farmers.
However, Ethiopia remains far behind
exploiting potato and sweet potato for
commercial use. The growing seasons,
Potato experts look for commercialized farming in Ethiopia
Eritrea’s Ambassador to UN Girma
Asmerom Tesfay passes away
UN seeks to mobilize USD 900 mln for South
Sudan’s recovery
Ambassador Girma Asmerom Tesfay, the Permanent Representative of the
State of Eritrea to the United Nations (UN), has passed away (1949-2016). The late
Ambassador previously served as the Ambassador of Eritrea to the European
Union and the African Union.
The former freedom fighter held positions as Director General of the Americas
and International Organizations at Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Asmara from 2006 to 2007, Ambassador to the United States and Canada between
2001 and 2006, and as Ambassador to South Africa from 1999 to 2001, with non-
resident accreditation to Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia and
Madagascar.
Between 1997 and 1999, he was Ambassador to Ethiopia, the Organization of
African Unity (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
(ECA).
He also held several positions within the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of
Information and Culture between 1991 and 1996.
Eritrea joined the United Nations in 1993, as a full-fledged member. (CAPARI)
The UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said on Thursday it will help mobilize
USD 900 million to support various activities in the war-torn in the next two
years.
Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in South Sudan,
Eugene Owusu, said the funds will support building resilience in communities,
delivering services for the most vulnerable, reinvigorating the weak economy,
and supporting institution-building and capacity development.
Owusu made the remarks as he launched the Interim Cooperation Framework
(ICF) of the UN Country Team in South Sudan, which he said seeks to deliver
development to the country in the absence of its development plan.
South Sudan has been torn by more than two years of civil war with the inflation
standing at 663 percent.
“Our agenda for the next two years is to help transform South Sudan to enable
it transition from a cycle of conflict towards recovery, stabilization and a clear
path of nation building,” he told diplomats and government officials in the capital
Juba.
By Birhanu Fikade
On their three days business mission
to Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates-
based businesses have expressed
concerns that the government of
Ethiopia needs to open and liberalize
the trade and some service sectors for
foreign competitions.
Hamad Buamim, president and CEO of
the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and
Industry requested the government
to open up the trading and retail
businesses of the country citing that
UAE’s 30 to 40 percent of the GDP
depended on the retail sector. Buamim
urged the government to ease up the
protective stance as that could not help
the investors to grow any better.
According to Buamim, the UK-based
Cartford Inn, which has been branched
out in the UAE and is currently
Emirati businesses call for trade sector liberalization
Emirati businesses... page 34
Local businesses gloomy about sector prioritization
opportunities Ethiopia can offers to the Emiratis
according to Endale and Gebremedihin
WoldeGiorgis, secretary of APA and
senior researcher of potato, are very
short compared to other cash crops. It
takes 90 to 120 days to cultivate potato
in a difficult weather conditions.
According to the experts, potato is
considered as a hunger-busting crop.
“Potato and sweet potato are the
essential food security and cash crops in
Ethiopia as they produce more calories
per unit area and per water unit than
any other major food crop”, Endale said.
That, however, was not seen helping
the country that has been strangled
by the evasive drought affecting 10
million people. According to Endale
and his colleagues as well as Shawkat
A. Begum, vice president of APA and
By Neamin Ashenafi
The Human Rights Council (HRCO) is
set to celebrate its 25th year anniversary
through different programs.
Bitsate Terefe, director general, while
giving a press conference announcing
the 25th anniversary on Friday said that
the anniversary of the establishment of
the council will be commemorated with
various programs and activities. The
commemoration includes a solidarity
walk in different parts of Addis Ababa,
presentations of study papers on the
situations of human right in the country,
fundraising lunch programs where
different items and paintings will be sold
through an auction.
Having around for the last 25 years
HRCO has strived for the respect of
HRCO to
celebrate 25th
anniversary
HRCO to... page 34
Potato experts... page 29

8. www.thereporterethiopia.com
8| The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048
Advertisment
Country: Africa/Ethiopia
Name of Project: The Horn Economic and Social Policy Institute (HESPI)
Individual consultancy service:Conducting research on accelerating
transition from fragility to Stability in South Sudan: Fiscal Sustainability
and Peace Dividend
Grant No.: 256
Duration of the consultancy services:2 months
Background
The Horn Economic and Social Policy Institute (HESPI) is an independent,
support the member countries of Intergovernmental Authority on Development
(IGAD1
) in particular and developing countries at large. HESPI conducts
economic and social policy research on issues of common interest to the
undertakes commissioned studies, policy analysis and research for the public
institutional and human resource capacity building. HESPI’s mission is to assist
with the formulation and implementation of sound economic and social policies,
to promote high-quality research and to provide advisory services to facilitate
broad-based economic growth and poverty reduction in the IGAD region.
With Financial support from the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF),
HESPI has been supporting fragile states in the IGAD region including the South
Sudan with Institutional capacity building and policy research to enhance and
mass displacement, exacerbating humanitarian situation, upsetting economic
activity and aggravating uncertainty in all markets, including the banking sector.
, owing to war cumulative effects.
dividend are among critical issues in South Sudan. With ghost names still
escalating on the payrolls, incorporation of other armed groups in fashion,
promotions in the army and Foreign Ministry taking place, the budget is overrun
and remains big relative to a regional average. Hence, these issues need to be
generation and tilting spending away from the army to real social and economic
development.
Therefore, as part of the HESPI’s overall policy research program, the whole
essence of this study, is to provide strategies or ways which contribute to the
Foundation and intends to apply part of the amount for this grant to payments
under a consultancy contract for conducting research on accelerating transition
from fragility to Stability in South Sudan: Fiscal Sustainability and Peace
Dividend.
HESPI is conducting this study to unearth the challenges faced in South Sudan
stability and ensure peace dividend
Assess and identify elements of fragility in South Sudan and possible ways
to accelerate transition from fragility to stability in the young nation;
sustainability and peace dividend
sustainability and peace dividend as South Sudan gets back to implementing
agreement;
Present and disseminate the study to policymakers and researchers in the
The scope of the assignment will cover:
Exploring the overall fragility in the country
and unrest
Developing empirical research report with recommendations on the ways to
accelerate the transition
primarily to the South Sudan authorities and other relevant stakeholders
The Horn Economic and Social Policy Institute (HESPI) now invites eligible
Individualsconsultants to indicate their interest in providing the
required services. Interested consultants must provide information (updated
of similar assignments undertaken.
The short list criteria will be
This assignment requires senior researcher with strong research skills,
especially in quantitative research and proven ability to author reports
of experience
Experience in data collection, data analysis and interpretation for at least
Excellent computer skills and in different research software such as Eviews,
STATA 13, SPSS, CGE modeling) or equivalent.
Strong oral and written English communication to be proved through
interview and based on review of previous research reports
Familiarity or experience of working in the IGAD region, preferably in South
Sudan or other fragile member states
The eligibility criteria, the establishment of the short list and the selection
procedure shall be in accordance with the procedures set out in the African
capacity Building Foundation’s Procurement Guidelines for Grant
www.
acbf-pact.org.Please note that interest expressed by a Consultant does not
Expression of Interest clearly marked “Expression of Interest for Consultancy
in South Sudan: Fiscal sustainability and peace dividend”can be submitted
as hard copies at the address below on or before
on local time on.Complete TORs can also be downloaded from the HESPI
Website: www.hespi.orgor collected from the HESPI headquarters located at
Churchill Road in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Program Manager
The Horn Economic and Social Policy Institute (HESPI)
Tel: , Fax:
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Submissionthrough emailshould be sent to:daniel.fantaye@hespi.org or
alice.p@hespi.org
The Horn Economic and Social Policy Institute
P.O. Box 2692 code 1250, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Tel: 2511 5 153262/65. Fax.2511 5 15 07 63;
Email:hespi@ethionet.et; Website: www.hespi.org
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON ACCELERATING TRANSITION FROM FRAGILITY TO STABILITY IN
SOUTH SUDAN: Fiscal Sustainability and Peace Dividend
1. Current IGAD members include: Djibouti, Eretria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda
2. NBS. (2016). Press Release: The Consumer Price Index for July 2016

9. www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048 |9
Advertisment
: Project Manager (Co-worker)
Butajira, GrarbetTehadisoMahber
(GTM)
GTM
rural communities in Ethiopia. GTM provides rehabilitation and
medical health care services to persons with epilepsy, post-polio
paralysis, hard of hearing and visual impairment in 11 districts
of the SNNP and Oromia regions. GTM’s comprehensive eye
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of Trachoma, a leading infectious cause of blindness in the rural
communities of its catchment areas through implementing the
SAFE strategy recommended by WHO.
CBM
to improvingthe quality of life of persons with disabilities in the
poorest countries of the world. Based on its values and over 100
years of professional expertise, CBM addresses poverty as a
cause and a consequence of disability, and works in partnership to
create a society inclusive for all. CBM operates in Ethiopia since
the needs of persons with disabilities. CBM Ethiopia supports 29
Trachoma elimination, Physical Rehabilitation, Inclusive Education,
Community-Based Rehabilitation and supporting umbrella
through partners, including governmental and private hospitals
and eye care centres, local institutions, local and international
is located in Addis Ababa. CBM Ethiopia operates in the country
through funds from various CBM Member Associations, namely
CBM Germany, CBM Italy, CBM Canada and CBM Australia.
CareC
Contract Duration: 4 months (with possibility of extension)
Contract type:Ethiopian National labourcontract
Contract Start:
Salary: Negotiable
I.
The incumbent ensures coordination of the Project “Ethiopia
Trachoma SAFE”
CBM procedures, policies and guidelines, project’s documents,
donor guidelines and local policies. This will be done to guarantee
and with the required quality.
II.
The Project Co-worker report to GTM’s Project Coordinator, and
works in close coordination with CBM Italy Headquarter and CBM
For the correct project’s objectives achievement, it is required to
involve CBM Italy Headquarter, whenever so requested.
Project coordination/management
Manage the implementation of the project in collaboration with
CBM Ethiopia CO;
Monitoring and supervision throughout the project, ensuring
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funds in accordance with CBM guidelines and donor’s
procedures;
accordance with donor’s procedures and in collaboration with
Participate to Health Coordination meetings with all relevant
stakeholders and to other working groups and clusters
meetings.
Communication and visibility duties
stories and communication material requested by the Desk
Develop short newsletters for communication purposes for
CBM IT, CO and other Mass medias in collaboration with GTM
University Degree, preferably post graduate degree, in a
Sciences, International Development, etc.);
At least 3 years’ professional experience within international
coordinating international donor’s projects, and knowledge of
operational frameworks;
formulation and reporting;
Demonstrated experience in HR management;
Fluency in Italian and English (spoken and written);
Management;
approach;
Understanding of Safety and Security procedures;
Flexibility, capacity of stress management, good diplomatic
skills;
Ability to live and work in a changing environment;
Ability to work in team.
Sound experience and knowledge of project management,
procedures and systems;
Task-oriented management approach;
Good understanding, of disability and development concepts;
Experience in applying Project Cycle Management (PCM) tools;
Computer literacy. Experience with use of Microsoft packages
such as Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access;
Ability to communicate effectively at various levels within the
Able to work effectively as a member of a team;
Commits to GTM and CBM’s Code of Conduct with respect to
Children and other Vulnerable Persons.
Vacancy Announcement

10. www.thereporterethiopia.com
10| The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048IN-DEPTH
Last week’s Irrecha
festivities ended in
a gruesome tragedy
the likes of which is
not common to public
holidays in Ethiopia.
Following the tragic death
of those who attended
the festivities, a wave of
protest have erupted in
across Oromia Regional
State with billions of birr
worth of properties going
the ruling Ethiopian
Peoples’ Revolutionary
Democratic Front
(EPRDF) has announced
its leadership which it
expected to be announced
next week when
parliament opens, writes
Yohannes Anberbir.
Bishoftu displayed a mixture of festivities and tension
starting from Saturday afternoon. On one hand, a number
the eve of Irrecha projected an atmosphere of festivities and
celebration while, on the other hand, displays of emotion were
witnessed whenever a politically-charged Oromiffa songs
were played at public recreational facilities. That was an
indication as to the potential of a protest the next morning.
This was a turning point to the Irrecha 2016 celebration since most
of the present Aba Gadaas and religious fathers started to vacate the
stage and lake area declaring festivities will not take place this year.
To the disappointment of the regional cultural bureau this was the
year where the Irrecha festival was scheduled to be celebrated in style
on account of UNESCO’s observers who were present at ceremony
heritage.
“The government
is saying is that
it will conduct
my opinion,
there is no way
will be the only
solution.”
The Gadaa system is an ancient system of
societal stratification and administration
which is scared to the Oromo people.
Although the system is less influential
in terms of day-to-day governance of the
Oromo community in recent times, the
system is still a highly-regarded cultural
institution in Ethiopia.
In connection to the Gadaa system, the
annual thanksgiving celebration known
as the Irrecha festivities is also another
widely observed cultural holiday among
the Oromo people. According to Oromo
elders, Irrecha is an annual holiday where
the Oromo community gives thanks to the
creator for the blessings it had bestowed
upon the people during the year. Irrecha
is celebrated every year at the beginning
of the spring season which is either on the
Sunday of the last week of September or
the beginning of October.
Currently, Irrecha is one of the biggest
traditional festivals in Ethiopia celebrated
by millions of Oromos, the local
community and tourists. And focal point
of the Irrecha festivities is the scared
grounds of Hora Harsadi; Hora meaning
lake in Oromiffa. These grounds are
located in the town of Bishoftu, 45kms
from the capital Addis Ababa.
Last Sunday was Irrecha 2016, an occasion
of celebration in the protest-engrossed
Oromia. And the mood in Bishoftu a night
before Irrecha was exactly as such. As
they do usually, members of the Oromo
community travel from afar to take part
in the holiday celebrations and finding
accommodation on the eve of the holiday
was unthinkable in the resort town.
Bishoftu displayed a mixture of festivities
and tension starting from Saturday
afternoon. On one hand, a number of
youngsters who filled the local bars
and restaurants on the eve of Irrecha
projected an atmosphere of festivities
and celebration while, on the other hand,
displays of emotion were witnessed
whenever a politically-charged Oromiffa
songs were played at public recreational
facilities. That was an indication as to the
potential of a protest the next morning.
Well, that was what happened exactly.
A wave of people who flocked to Hora
Harsadi to take part in festivities were
almost in complete sync in their protest
against the government, the regional
ruling party the Oromo People’s
Democratic Organization (OPDO) and the
ruling party EPRDF. According firsthand
accounts of The Reporter, the protest
started as early as 6:00 in the morning
when high-ranking Aba Gadaas began to
Leadership reshuffle:
could it be enough?bless the lake waters and by adoring the
lake with freshly-cut grasses. Blessing the
lake is usually a very popular happening
in the festivities which also heralds the
beginning of the holiday ritual. This
was unusually met with extreme lack of
interest and opposition.
The predominately young, who were in
attendance, were relentless in sounding
their opposition to OPDO, member-party
of the EPRDF and administrator of the
region, and the ruling front altogether
carrying slogans like “Enough Woyane,”
“Enough OPDO” and “We Want Freedom”.
As the protest grew louder and stronger,
the more it became unsettling for security
forces, mainly composed of the region’s
Special Forces.
Nevertheless, the conduct of the security
forces and hence the protests had been
peaceful. After considerable delay, the
Aba Gadaa, who was sitting quietly on the
stage all through the protest, tried to get a
hold of the ceremony by asking the crowed
to quite down. This never happened in
fact the protest started to heat up. Many
organizers of the ceremony took a stab at
calming the relentless protest but failed.
That was when the young man who slipped
through to stage and mixed with stage
organizers got a hold of the microphone.
This was indeed significant since nobody
anticipated what this young man was
going to do next. “Down Down Woyane”,
“Down Down TPLF”, blurted the young
man and the crowed followed the chant;
and yet again louder than before.
This was a turning point to the Irrecha
2016 celebration since most of the present
Aba Gadaas and religious fathers started
to vacate the stage and lake area declaring
festivities will not take place this year. To
the disappointment of the regional cultural
bureau this was the year where the Irrecha
festival was scheduled to be celebrated in
style on account of UNESCO’s observers
who were present at ceremony and who
are influential in registering the festival as
world intangible heritage.
Yet, the failed attempt to impress some
observers from the UN was the least of
problems for this year’s Irrecha. The
departure of the Aba Gaddas was followed
by the simmering protest and move by
some youngsters in the front row to climb
on to the stage. Although repulsed by
the security forces, eventually the mass
started to push through to control the stage
and security forces decided that it was
time to respond.
Then things went south really fast. The
preferred weapon of dispersing the

11. www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048 |11IN-DEPTH
After the latest turn of events and revival of the protest in Oromia, the
political upheaval in Ethiopia looks to be growing into an international
concern with global partners issuing statements. Perhaps, the most
concerning factor is the evolution of the overall protest and demands
which are advanced by the protestors as opposed to the proposed reforms
the ruling party has promised to bring to country in the coming months.
The ruling EPRDF’s assessment of the issue revolves around three
core points: lack of good governance, abuse of power for personal gain
government and party ranks.
crowed was tear gas, which together
with rubber bullets and water cannon
are standards across the world. So, at
face value, the response could not be
conceived to be deadly, Prime Minister
Hailemariam Dessalegn said on the
national broadcaster on Sunday. But,
for Irrecha celebrators tear gas was just
that. According to first accounts, the
firing of tear gas has unforeseen and
deadly consequences for the people;
once the sound of tear gas firing started
to echo across Lake Hora, the crowd
responded by dispersing fast. All this
happened in very crammed location
which is surrounded by a ditch and the
lake. The result, then, was a stampede,
one of the most harrowing tragedies in
Ethiopia in recent years. According to
conservative estimates, some 53 people
have lost their lives falling into ditches
or suffocated by the stampede. In fact,
less conservative sources say the death
toll is goes way above 150 and in some
cases up to 300.
The government of Ethiopia declared
a national mourning for three days at
which time the security of the regional
administration has went down to its
newest low.
Those who buried their loved ones after
Irrecha took to the streets once more
clashing with security forces, blocked
roads and burned down private and
public properties.
After the latest turn of events and
revival of the protest in Oromia, the
political upheaval in Ethiopia looks
to be growing into an international
concern with global partners issuing
statements. Perhaps, the most
concerning factor is the evolution of the
overall protest and demands which are
advanced by the protestors as opposed
to the proposed reforms the ruling party
has promised to bring to country in the
coming months.
The ruling EPRDF’s assessment of the
issue revolves around three core points:
lack of good governance, abuse of power
for personal gain by public officials
and job creation. Chairman of the party
and Prime Minister of the country has
promised that the party would get rid of
a significant portion of these problems
after undergoing a deep renewal process
which is expected to result in a major
reshuffle of the both government and
party ranks.
Already, speculations are abounding
regarding a major reshuffle in the top
leadership of the government, especially
in PM Hailemariam’s cabinet. This
reshuffle plan, although not unusual in
EPRDF government, now is expected to
rely only on merit based assignment.
According to these speculations, the
party has been looking for candidates
who can deliver and not bound with
party affiliation.
On the other hand, recent protests
in Oromia and Amhara regions
look to have a crystallization of
the demand towards complete
removal of the current government.
According William Davison, Bloomberg
correspondent in Ethiopia, there seems
to be a significant degree of public
dissatisfaction with fundamental
issues such as weak public services,
unresponsive bureaucracy, inefficient
courts, official corruption, unfair
compensation and a rising cost of
living. However, these basic grievances
are mixed with more overt political
issues such as lack of democracy and
pluralism and a perception of Tigrayan
domination and marginalization of
groups such as the Oromo, he argues.
He also observes that mobilized by
political activities, the protestors
are now demanding at least systemic
change and at most a change of the
whole regime altogether.
This is where things get complicated;
with the ruling party expected
to present its majorly reshuffled
top government leadership when
parliament opens next week,
commentators are now deliberating
on the chances of such a reshuffle to
win the hearts and minds of protestors
and those not in the protest but
waiting anxiously on the government’s
response.
“There may be some short-lived new
energy brought to the government by
replacing leaders,” Davison told The
Reporter in an email interview. But,
the activists mobilizing most of these
protesters are demanding systemic
change, and in many cases regime
change, he argues, and that chances
are high that they will brand EPRDF’s
reshuffling as cosmetic change.
Davison’s view is not so much about
the actual effectiveness of the reshuffle
plan but the political attitude and
general perception that this reform will
be implemented in. According to him,
the reshuffle will have less chance of
reducing the level of opposition in the
country because of the evolution of the
demands and the expected branding of
the reform by political activists.
Mulugeta Aregawi, international
law expert, is more radical in his
approach towards the reshuffle
program. According to him, the merit of
reshuffling party and government ranks
should come as secondary to the more
radical reforms that country needs to
undergo. “The government is saying is
that it will conduct a reshuffle. In my
opinion, there is no way that reshuffling
will be the only solution,” he said.
“What I suggest is that there has to be a
platform to entertain the questions and
concerns of Ethiopians from different

12. www.thereporterethiopia.com
12| The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048LIVING & THE ARTS
An unprecedented
movement of student
activism has been
sweeping South African
university campuses
and cities. And this
is because of the Fees
The movement is a
student led protest that
began in mid-October
2015 in response to an
increase in fees at South
African universities.
South Africa, by many
measures, is arguably
the most unequal
society in the world.
Working people cannot
afford basic necessities
and the academia in
the Rainbow Nation
remains white and
predominantly male.
This has led the
majority to protest,
calling for deep changes,
writes Tibebeselassie
Tigabu, from
Johannesburg, South
Africa.
On the third week of the shutting down
of all prestigious universities and
colleges in South Africa, three-fourths
of the content disseminated in various
media outlets, including the state-owned
multinational corporation, the South
African Broadcasting Corporation
(SABC), E News Channel Africa
(ENCA) and Ground Report is about
“Free Education” protest. Every day
there is an update on the protesters’
demands, the escalating anger of
students, and back and forth between
students’ representatives, the Ministry
of Education, vice-chancellors of
universities and other stakeholders.
Students demanded free, quality and
decolonized education. They devised
ways to have their voices heard, which
include barricading entrances of
universities, disrupting classes, building
shacks outside the gates of universities
(in the case of Cape Town University)
and setting the library on fire. These acts
forced the universities to shut down.
Hashtags #Fees2017 and #FeesMustFall
were trending on social media and
there were several debates on the issue.
Similarly, Tuesday was no different
for the protesters at Witwatersrand
University with the exception of the
backing presence of one of South Africa’s
prominent personalities, Dali Mpofu,
who is an advocate of the Economic
Freedom Fighters Party. In addition,
a famous singer, Simple Dana, black
academics and parents participated in
a march as a human shield between the
police and students.
The group of protesters marched in
different areas of the campus singing
and chanting songs, including those
from the apartheid struggle.
In addition to the social media, the
various media of the country were
transmitting live the chaotic scenes.
Police fired rubber bullets and stun
grenades at protesters dispersing the
marching students.
Angry protesters in return smashed a
police car and responded by throwing
stones. The nation watched in horror
with police responses of shooting rubber
bullets and dragging one of the student
leaders, Mcebo Dlamini, in a failed
attempt to arrest him.
It was not only the police; private
security officers faced students armed
with batons and riot shields.
The media’s transmitted live images,
including the emotional naked protest
of three women students saying they
were tired of being brutalized. The
three women, who were pleading, faced
the police with their hands crossed
over their heads in an effort to stop the
violence.
The situation calmed down around
evening after negotiations were held
between the middle personalities of
Dali Mpofu, together with students’
representatives and Vice Chancellor
Adam Habib to have a general assembly
on the future of the academic year.
These furious clashes happened after
the university conducted a poll asking
students if they wanted the academic
program to proceed on Monday, which
the majority voted yes. The student
leaders and the protesting students did
not agree with the polling system, which
they said had errors like voting multiple
times.
In addition to Witwatersrand,
prestigious universities such as Cape
Town, KwaZulu-Natal, and Pretoria
were temporarily closed and more than
15 universities announced that they
Free education
movement in South Africa

13. www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048 |13, 2016
LIVING & THE ARTS
The report states
that the working
class and missing
middle class cannot
afford to pay for
the tuition being
charged by the
universities. The
fee is even more
unbearable for
students who come
from impoverished
townships.
Free education... page 30
would indefinitely not resume the 2016
program that ends in November.
South African universities are the
top universities in Africa, according
to The Times Higher Education
World University Rankings, global
performance tables that judge research-
intensive universities across all their
core missions including teaching,
research, knowledge transfer (industry
outcome) and international outlook.
With these criteria, Cape Town
University is ranked first, while the
University of Witwatersrand in placed
second. The third top university in
Africa, according to the ranking, is
Stellenbosch University. The income
statements of UCT and Wits for the year
2013/14 reveal that they have a reserve of
three to four billion rand each.
These rankings aside, the protesters of
free, quality and decolonized education
claim that the universities marginalized
the vast majority of black students
levying a burden of a heavy fee they
cannot afford.
According to Africa Check, the
University of Cape Town’s
Bachelor of Medicine is
the most expensive first-
year degree at 64,500
rand (4,700 dollars)
followed by Wits
University 58,140
rand (4,204 dollars)
and Stellenbosch
University 51,326
rand (3,713
dollars). The
costs incurred
by students
with additional
expenses keep
on piling up. A
proposal entitled
“The Submission
to the Presidential
Commission of Fee
Free Education by the
South African Union of
Students in June 2016”
shows that, in addition
to tuition fee costs such as
residence, transport, books
and stationery and food, the cost
reaches more than 100,000 rand (7,235
dollars) in average.
According to the same report, the
average salary of civil servants such as
teachers, police officers and nurses is
estimated to be 180,000 rand annually
(13,006 dollars). In that regard, they
cannot afford to pay the exorbitant fees.
The report states that the working class
and missing middle class cannot afford
to pay for the tuition being charged by
the universities. The fee is even more
unbearable for students who come
from impoverished townships. Tebogo
Ngwane, a third-year law student at the
University of Cape Town who lives in
Khayelitsha Township, was privileged to
join Cape Town University. According to
Ngwane, it is not a reality for those who
are born in rural areas and township to
go to prestigious universities. He said
that what most kids do after high school
is to find a job to help their families.
He says that the majority of black
students are rejected by a system,
especially by white lecturers, who do not
consider black students to be as equal at
their white counterparts. He graduated
from his high school top of his class. His
classmates were all black. When he got
to the University of Cape Town (only 24
percent are black students) he felt the
disparity. The percentage of black South
Africans, who enroll in the University
of Cape Town, only increased by six
percent from 1994, which critics say is
a result of the affordability of tertiary
education and the poor education of
South Africa’s primary and secondary
schools.
He was faced with white privileged
students who drove expensive cars,
while the majority of black students
struggled to pay their tuition and
other fees. The lack of black faculty
members also was another
frustration. Alienated by
the structure and the
environment of this
university, he felt
unwelcome. So,
participating in
these protests
is such a
revolutionary act
for the young
student. He
did not deny
the fact that
the current
situation sent
deep fear and
anxiety to his
parents who
feared for his
expulsion. His
unemployed
father, two
siblings and
grandmother
make a living from
his nurse mother’s
earnings. It is not
everyone who qualifies
for the dozen available
bursaries. He only got partial
bursary where he has to raise the
the rest of the funding by himself. He
works part-time in a restaurant to cover
his funding. In addition to that, he says
his mother managed to raise a bank loan
of 50,000 rand that only covered some
percentage of the fees required by the
university.
There are many students who drop out
because of funding. Luckily for him,
he made it this far with a good grade of
70 percent for all his modules. Access
seems to be a very difficult issue where
he would often stay awake all night in
the computer lab to meet assignment
deadlines. Since Internet expense is
also another issue in South Africa, he
takes advantage of free Internet in the

14. www.thereporterethiopia.com
14| The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048
Mulugeta Aregawi is a DC-based lawyer who attended school both in Ethiopia and the U.S.
He earned his LLB from Addis Ababa University Law School and LLM from Washington
College of Law, specializing on International Law. He used to offer different courses,
including constitutional law at the Law School. Mulugeta is also known for sharing
his views and opinions on current affairs with different media outlets freely and boldly.
Solomon Goshu of The Reporter discussed with Mulugeta current issues and the
constitutional discourses related to it. Excerpts:
INTERVIEW
The Reporter: As you know,
currently, there is a chain of
political unrest and protest going
on in the country. Underneath
the protest, there are a number
of political questions which the
government believes it has started
responding to them adequately.
What is your take on all of that?
Mulugeta Aregawi: Since I am a
lawyer, let us start with the facts. The
ruling party EPRDF has been in power
for the past 25 years; and, in that time,
the party has achieved some visible
outcomes in the economic aspect.
On the other hand, when it comes to
the justice system, good governance,
corruption and rent-seeking, things
have not been that impressive. By
the government’s own admission,
these problems have now become a
threat to the system. Furthermore,
the government is saying that its
structure is captured by rent-seeking
bureaucrats. Now, the party is asking
for extra time to renew and cleanse
itself. As we all know, the ruling front
went through the same self-cleansing
process 15 years ago. If you look at the
first self-cleansing process and the one
the party is doing at this time, there are
subtle differences between the two. The
first one was initiated by the political
rift that happened within the TPLF,
the founding member of the ruling
coalition EPRDF. Of course, some of
the other EPRDF-member parties may
have been involved in the process but
it was generally an EPRDF process
initiated by the needs of the party itself.
However, the recent party evaluation
and self-renewal process is a forced
one. It is a response to the simmering
public upheaval towards the ruling
party. Now, the main issue is how to
alleviate these problems, which by
the government’s own admission are
threatening the system. So, on one hand
the ruling party EPRDF is saying that
it is capable of solving these problem;
and that all it needs is time. Meanwhile,
those in the opposition camp are saying
the ruling party had 25 years to deal
with its problems if it had the capacity
to actually do so. This is where we are
at this time.
One of the peculiar issues in
the self-evaluation and renewal
processes of the one 15 years ago
and the one right now is that the two
have identified somewhat similar
challenges to deal with. Does it
make sense to deliberate on similar
national challenges for over 15
years?
Unusually, one need not look far to
see that the government has failed to
deliver on some of its commitments.
The prime minister of the country has
said it publicly back in November.
In fact, such kind of full disclosure
regarding one’s failures is highly
unusual in most governments across
the world. Hence, I would say it is
so courageous of the ruling party to
do so. According to Prime Minister
Hailemariam Dessalegn, the system has
failed to deliver all-over. Now, the big
question is if you stay in power for 25
years and still failed to deliver on good
governance, what have you been doing
all these years? If not governing what
is the job of a government then. Apart
from that, how much time is needed to
deliver on good governance? What is
the guarantee that it will deliver given
the track record thus far? These are
some of the issues which I have hard
time to understand given the current
situation. In a recent interview with
the national broadcaster, four seasoned
EPRDF officials had argued that when
the party went through the renewal
process 15 years ago, it did not promise
or give a guarantee that it will never
start to decay once again. They said it is
something that could not be guaranteed
by the party. It was striking to me to
hear that because it gave me a sense
that the party feels that it is excusable
to experience decaying while governing
the country. But, the FDRE Constitution
does not allow the ruling party or the
government to decay or degenerate; it
will not say that it is excusable. Rather,
the electorate public holds the right
even to recall its representatives in
between election cycles if it feels that
the party and hence the government
that it leads is decaying. It is also wrong
to argue as if decaying or degeneration
is a normal cycle in the party that
should be tolerated by the public; the
mindset is wrong altogether. If we are to
talk about the proposed measures such
as reshuffling the ranks of the party
and government, I also don’t think
that it will be a solution to the current
EPRDF’s renewal:
a critical appraisal

15. www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter, Saturday, October 8, 2016
Vol. XXI No. 1048 |15
I want to say this
very bluntly, I
don’t have any
evidence that
suggests EPRDF
is really committed
to the Constitution
which the party
itself took the lead
to daft. I personally
believe, freedom of
expression is the
most fundamental
right of all human
rights. I argue,
there is nothing
called life without
freedom to think
and express oneself.
INTERVIEW
problem. How could the government
expect to overcome its governance
problems by making mere personnel
change while it is still working with
the old system? As far as I understand
it, the problem of good governance is
a legal issue, a policy issue, a political
issue and a social issue at the same
time. So, it is a fundamental problem.
You cannot solve this problem by
reshuffling officials in the government
and the party. It does not matter if you
bring world-class minds, if they are
subjected to work under the current
ideology and policy framework they
too will fail. I am talking about the
likes of changes that have happened in
Oromia’s OPDO recently. I anticipate
this will not be a credible reform in the
eyes of the public.
Some people argue that the
FDRE constitution is a highly
liberal document whose full
implementation is stifled by the
EPRDF historical left leaning
political ideology and the recent
developmental state direction. What
is your take on that?
I want to say this very bluntly, I don’t
have any evidence that suggests EPRDF
is really committed to the Constitution
which the party itself took the lead to
daft. I personally believe, freedom of
expression is the most fundamental
right of all human rights. I argue,
there is nothing called life without
freedom to think and express oneself.
But, I think this fundamental right is
ignored in Ethiopia. For this, you can
see the state of the media in Ethiopia.
You can see authorities attaching the
label of a terrorist to journalists. The
anti-terrorism proclamation even goes
to the extent of criminalizing threat, in
addition to action or intention. Political
parties do not have an unrestricted
right to assembly. Without fulfilling
all these conditions how could you
check the power of the government?
You know, any constitution is devised
to check the power of a government. It
is the first and most important job of a
constitution. So, where is the limit of
the power of government in Ethiopia?
It was not clear. So my guess is that by
the time the Constitution is drafted, the
world had experienced a major shift
in the political power with the victory
of the western liberal ideas. So the
framers had no other viable option but
introduce such a liberal document. The
same is true for the transitional period
charter of 1991. However, it is difficult
to say that the party has a belief in the
ideals of the Constitution from the start.
So, to get back to the point, there are
a number of other contradictions in
what the ruling party is saying at the
moment. On the one hand, the party
says that the nation’s future will be
bleak without EPRDF, while on the
other it admits that it was unable to
deliver good governance in the past
25 years. Even when you see the so-
called democratic developmental state
concept, I also observe stark differences
between what the government is doing
and what the late Prime Minister, Meles
Zenawi, had written in his paper: Dead
Ends and New Beginnings. For example,
Meles says that the private sector is not
going to be partner of the development
coalition in the developmental state.
Meanwhile, you hear the government
saying these days that it encourages
the private sector to participate in
development process. If you take
Meles’s argument regarding democracy,
he never said straight-forwardly
that a developmental state could be a
democratic system. And, he admits that
until the farming community, a major
partner in the democratic coalition,
starts to transform there is a need to
have a government that would stay in
power and keep the development wheels
running. This cannot be classified as
democratic. To address this concern,
they decided to call it a democratic
developmental state. This is a bit
confusing for me. If you are democratic,
you accept diversity in principle. So,
you cannot write-off legal and peacefull
political decent claiming that you are
democratic. Look, there is a provision
in Ethiopian Criminal Code which
criminalizes incitement to destroy
the constitutional order. Honestly
speaking, I can tell what exactly it
means. But it is absurd to invoke the
constitution against an individual. The
constitution is invoked almost always
against government, not individuals.
You invoke the criminal code against
individual. You see, there are such
salient contradictions between what
the Constitution says and what the
government does. If you ask me, the
Constitution is a very liberal document.
Back in the days when we said that the
constitutions was a liberal document,
opposition parties used to criticize it
as pro-EPRDF. Now, the opposite is
happening: the opposition is citing the
Constitution and the government is on
the defensive.
The ruling party officials always
state that they sacrificed their
life to bring peace, stability and
development to the country and
claim that they give priority to
advance the interest of the people.
To the contrary, there is a public
perception that largely blames the
officials for being incapable and
corrupt. According to the reports
made by many international
organizations, the corruption of the
officials is not grand corruption
compared to other African
countries. However, the perception
of the public is that the officials are
engaged in grand corruptions. In
terms of top EPRDF leadership, how
do you evaluate the perception and
the reality on the ground?
Those EPRDFites who were fighting to
liberate the people from the military
EPRDF’s renewal: ... page 20